Radiothon Raises Over $200,000

A radiothon and blood drive in Meridian to benefit the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital in Jackson raised a lot of money.

Nearly 6,000 children from our area were treated there in 2008.

With numbers like that, seeing why The Radio People hosted the radiothon is easy, especially since the hospital operates through donations and never turns a child away who needs treatment.

"Sharkey" from "Sharkey & Angie" on 97-OKK says that the event really was a community event.

The radiothon took place over three days last week. The grand total of funds raised is $210,000.

Radio stations WOKK, WMLV, WKZB, and WJXM are the Radio People stations that participated in the radiothon.

"Sharkey" says those funds include walk-in donations, as well as gifts from Sbarro's which donated $5 per pizza on those three days, and United Blood Services which held a blood drive and contributed $10 for every donation received Friday.

"Friday was the Johnathan Mars Memorial Blood Drive, and we collected 37 products," said marketing director Heather Knight. "And of course we'll be able to contribute ten dollars per donor. So we'll be able to make a total contribution of $370 toward the Johnathan Mars Memorial Blood Drive in, of course, his name to the Blair E. Batson Hospital."

"Sharkey" says that the funds will be used by the hospital for anything the hospital needs, whether it's equipment or supplies or an overnight stay for a parent of a patient in the hospital.

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